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BRISBANE - Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath will bolster Australia's pace attack against England today as the world champions ramp up an ultra-aggressive approach for their World Cup defence.
Lee and McGrath will return to tri-series action at the Gabba as part of a four-prong pace plan designed to blast out opponents in the quadrennial tournament in the Caribbean.
Australia suspect a series of recently relaid West Indian pitches will offer plenty of life for the quicks at the World Cup, which starts in six weeks.
The plan has already worked to a degree with Lee, McGrath, and left-armers Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Bracken exploiting inconsistent Indian wickets in the Champions Trophy in October.
The same quartet will play today, with Stuart Clark rested and Cameron White again chosen ahead of a disappointed Brad Hogg as the spin-bowling allrounder.
Adam Gilchrist, made captain for his 250th one-day international, believes the high-voltage tactic can carry the Australians through to a third successive World Cup.
"I think we all know what type of conditions have been in the Caribbean in recent years but the mail is that a lot of wickets have been relaid so they will be quite immature in the way they play," Gilchrist said.
"We've got a very well-balanced squad and a lot of options."
Gilchrist will assess the Brisbane conditions today before deciding on who to entrust with the new ball out of Lee, McGrath and Bracken.
White has given the selectors extra flexibility with his hard-hitting exploits at No 7 and they now want to see the leg-spinner perform with the ball after bleeding runs in the opening landslide victories over England and the Black Caps.
Eyebrows have been raised over England's long-term one-day plans after veteran opener Mal Loye was rushed into the squad 10 years after calls began for his selection.
Plucked from New Zealand's domestic competition, where he has been playing for Auckland, Lancashire opener Loye, 34, is expected to make his international debut before fellow squad newcomer Ravi Bopara.
Questions were asked about England's one-day selection policy following the injection of uncapped 36-year-old wicketkeeper Paul Nixon for the tri-series.
And even Loye's former county teammate David Capel wondered aloud why the 34-year-old had been selected now with the World Cup starting in March.
Loye has been tipped to earn international selection since the mid-1990s but it has taken the withdrawal of Marcus Trescothick (depression), Vaughan (hamstring) and Kevin Pietersen (ribs) to finally open the door. He has also been named in England's provisional 30-man World Cup squad.
ENGLAND v AUSTRALIA
Brisbane, 4pm today
Australia: Adam Gilchrist (c), Matthew Hayden, Brad Hodge, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Mike Hussey, Cameron White, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Bracken, Glenn McGrath.
England (possible): Andrew Flintoff (c), Andrew Strauss, Mal Loye, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Ed Joyce, Paul Nixon, Jamie Dalrymple, Monty Panesar, James Anderson, Jon Lewis, Liam Plunkett (12th man to be named).
- AAP
